Integrated system for ordering, fulfillment, and delivery of consumer products using a data network

Abstract

A technique for effecting electronic commerce using a data network is described. The data network includes a plurality of subsystems which, together, form an integrated system for receiving customer orders for selected items via a data network, fulfilling the customer orders, and delivering the ordered products to the customers. Moreover, according to a specific embodiment, the integrated nature of the system architecture of the present invention allows the on-line merchant to provide a guarantee to the customer that the ordered items will be available to be delivered to the customer at the specified delivery date, time, and location.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA[0001]The present application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 133,646 entitled ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ENABLED DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD filed May 11, 1999, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The present application also relates to a number of commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent applications filed simultaneously herewith including U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 568,570 for INVENTORY REPLICATION BASED UPON ORDER FULFILLMENT RATES, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 568,614 for REAL-TIME DISPLAY OF AVAILABLE PRODUCTS OVER THE INTERNET, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 568,613 for SCHEDULING DELIVERY OF PRODUCTS VIA THE INTERNET, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 568,572 for TECHNIQUE FOR PROCESSING CUSTOMER SERVICE TRANSACTIONS AT CUSTOMER SITE USING MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 568,823 for LOAD BALANCING TECHNIQUE IMPLEMENTE...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017]According to specific embodiments of the present invention, a technique for effecting electronic commerce using a data network is described. The data network includes a plurality of subsystems which, together, form an integrated system for receiving customer orders for selected items via a data network, fulfilling the customer orders, and

Problems solved by technology

However, many of the conventional systems which provide home shopping and home delivery services have significant limitations that prevent their adoption on a large scale basis.

This makes the groceries more expensive than if the customer had performed the shopping and purchasing himself/herself.

Additionally, when a customer places an order, Peapod can not guarantee that the ordered item will be available to be delivered to the customer.

Thus, if the grocery store does not have the ordered item (e.g. out of stock), the “shopper” cannot deliver that item to the customer.

Further, delivery scheduling problems may also arise with on-line shopping services such as those provided by Peapod.

Often, it is extremely difficult to fulfill a delivery request for an order to be delivered on the same day that the order was placed.

Therefore, many shopping services do not offer this feature.

Additionally, it is not uncommon for a scheduled customer delivery window to be missed because the order took too long to fulfill by the “shopper”.

Although the above-described on-line product purchasing technique provides the convenience of allowing a customer to purchase and receive a desired product without having to venture outside his or her home, c

Images